Ball and socket joint



Ja n. 12, 1937. w. TODD BALL AND SOCKET JOINT Filed June 21, 1933 7 Y pl l atentecl Jan. 1 2 1937 ,UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE BALL AND SOCKET JOINT William Todd, Leominster, Mass.

Application June 21, 1933, Serial No. 676,973

9 Claims. (01. 28790) The present invention is a cover or guard for der, and is usually externally threaded to engage the sockets of universal joints particularly of the internal threads on the outer end of the sleeve. ;type shown in the United States patent to Green Opposite the opening H, but preferably off-set 1,375,905, and in applicants co -pending applicawith respect to the central axis thereof, is anv 75 tionSerial No. 614,010. opening 20 formed in the sleeve l0, and of such' The object of the invention is to proiu'de a very dimensions as will permit the shank I6 and the economical cover or guide of simple construcball IE to be passed therethrough angularly with tion, yet durable and eificient for the purpose of respect to the axis thereof, so that the shank may E excluding dust and dirt from the interior of the be also passed through the opening 11 and the ball .10 joint and to retain or confine the grease or other shank moved within the interior of the sleeve l0, l lubricant within the joint, as well as to serve as a to the position shown in Figure l of the drawing. 'closure for an assembly opening to prevent dis- In this assembled position, the stem I6 extends l connection of the joint or movement of any of through the opening I! and the ball will be moved the parts therethrough, should any of the parts laterally by the spring I8 from opposite the open- ;l-' become lost or broken. ing to a point opposite a side wall of the sleeve. '15 With the above and other objects in view the It is desired to close the opening I! as well as invention resides further in the novel and sundry the opening 20 to exclude dust, dirt and water 5 details of construction, combination and arrangefrom the interior of the socket as well as to rement of the parts hereinafter more fully described tain the grease therein and to prevent any broken 0 and pointed out in the appended claims. and disconnected parts of the joint from acci- 2Q In the drawing which illustrates the embodidentally falling through the openings, particularf ment, of the invention as at present devised, ly the opening 20.

Fig. l isa longitudinal sectional View through a To this end the guard 2| of this invention, com- *-unive rsal joint to which the present invention is prises two substantially semi-circular plates at and. 525 applicable and showing the same applied thereto. b which may be readily brought into association Fig. 2 isaperspective View of the cover or guard to form a tubular jacket about the cylindrical 3 of the present invention and showing its cooperatsocket I0 and for the purpose of closing the open- Ling parts disconnected; ings l1 and 20. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken sub- The plate a is formed with the opening 22 dis- 3'0 s'tantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and equipped posed preferably centrally thereof of such dimenwith the guard shown in Fig. 2; sions slightly in excess of the diameter of the i Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing one shank l6 and through which the shank extends. section of the gua d Slightly modified in con- On opposite sides of and at both ends of the plate 7 struction; and a are provided longitudinally elongated slots 23 F 5 iS a w S a 130 3, il ustrat g a or openings slightly removed from the side edge 35 fur h modified use Of the Cover d, that is of the plate to receive the spring detents 24 formed the use of the guard without one of the sections on the edge portions of the plate I).

as shown in Fig. 2. The plate b is designed to cover the opening 20 V Th type f ba and socket joint to which the in the cylindrical socket l0 and is preferably made I 40 present invention is particularly applicable comof sprin steel, and in its normal unattached po- 40 prises a cylindrical or tubular socket l0, usually sition assumes an are or shape having a shorter forming the extension ll of arod or link of metal. radius or smaller dimensions than the exterior The cylinder is closed at one end l2, and opened surface of the socket ID. The detents 24 are prefat its other end l3, the end l2 forming a seat for erably, but not necessarily, formed integrally with one of the ball seat members 14, of which there the body of the guard section b and extend lat- 45 are usually two, one on each side of a spherical erally from the longitudinal edges thereof at the ball l5having an integral stem or shank l6,usualend portions of the plate; and in number correly threaded, to receive an end of a rod, link or spond to the slots 23 on the plate b. These deother joint. The shank I6 of the ball extends tents each have a curved offset shank portion 0 through an opening I! in the side wall of the cylwhich is offset outwardly from the plane of the inder to permita certain free, lateral or swivelling side edges of the guard section b and terminate movement thereof, and this assembly is held in detent ends :0 extended inwardly toward the tightly together by a compression spring l8, intersection b, and from which ends at outwardly and "posed between the other seat member 14 and a obliquely extend projections d which provide plug or cap l9, closing the open end of the cylinfinger pieces, as well as providing surfaces to bear 55 against and ride over the outer surface of the socket id as the guard section b is being applied to the socket I0 and which action tends to spread the section from its normal position. As the projections d reach the longitudinal edges of the plate section a, which has been applied to the side of the socket, they also ride over these edges until the detent end :1: thereof reaches the slots 23, when the resiliency of the guard section b will cause the detents to snap into slots and to be securely, but removably, held therein.

Thus with the sections a and b in their assembled positions on the socket l0 they are tightly held in position about the outer surface of the socket and form a jacket for excluding dirt, dust and water, retaining grease within the socket; and the section I) further prevents the parts within the socket, which may become broken through the crystallization, from falling out through the opening 20 of the socket, due to the fact that ends at of the detents 23 extend in a direction slightly toward the section plate 17 and thereby resist disengagement from the slots 23 by ordinary pressure exerted against the section 5 through the opening 20 of the socket.

The slots 23 in the section a, are elongated for the purpose of permitting the section a to slide longitudinally on the socket with the rocking movement of the stud or shank l6, without causing the plate section b to move therewith, and thereby reducing or eliminating any friction or binding which would hinder the free and easy movement of the shank [6. This free movement of the shank I6, is further provided for by having the portions 0 of the detents 24 offset suificiently to provide a clearance between themselves and the portions 6 adjacent the slots 23 of the section a.

In Figures 4 and 5 modifications of the guard are shown but the same reference characters will be employed to denote the same parts although characterized by different exponents in the different modifications.

In order to prevent the bearingpad Ida from becoming tilted and projecting through the opening 20, the section b may be modified, in Fig. 4, providing it with an inwardly extending indentation 25 which forms a continuation of part of the interior wall of the socket. This indentation 25 further serves the purpose of preventing a sliding or shifting movement of the plate 5' on the socket when the section a moves with the shank or stud Ilia.

In some instances it may be only required or desired to close the opening 205 in the cylindrical socket E05, and therefore only the section 52 may be employed. In such instances, however, the outer surface of the socket lllb will be formed with notches or indentations 26, as shown in Fig. 5, on opposite sides thereof and at points where detents 245 will occur, when the plate b2 is placed on or about the socket lllb as shown. These indentations 25 may be formed at the time socket Elia is made, preferably by drop forging or as is otherwise found to be convenient.

The section plate 52 as shown in Fig. 5 may be formed to be provided with an indentation 25 such as shown in Fig. 4.

As previously explained, the guard of the present invention can be very quickly and simply applied and can be equally as easily and deliberately removed by exerting an outward pressure upon the finger piece d, d and d2 of the detents 24, 24a and 24b respectively, so as to move the latter out of engagement with the slots 23 or 23a of the section plate a or a or from the notches 26 formed in the socket Illb, as shown in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a very effective, durable, simple and inexpensive guard or shield for ball and socket joints of the type mentioned is provided and that obviously the invention as described and shown herein is susceptible of modifications, as parts may be omitted, added or substituted without departing from the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A guard of the kind described comprising two complemental sections of sheet material adapted to form a tubular jacket when associated, one of said sections being of resilient metal and having a clasp-like action to be sprung about and snugly fit an object to which it is applied, detents carried on the side edge portions of said clasplike section, said other section having elongated longitudinally extending slots therein to receive said detents and to hold said sections together while permitting movement of said latter section without moving said clasp section.

2. A guard for tubular socket joints having-an opening in the socket and comprising a resilient clasp substantially semi-tubular to snugly fit the socket and cover the opening therein, said clasp having inwardly extending detents at its side edges to cooperate with a keeper means to retain said guard on said socket, and obliquely, outwardly extending guide surfaces on said detents to engage and ride over the surface of said socket to cause the guard to be sprung open as it is applied.

3. A guard for tubular socket joints having an opening therein and comprising a flexible substantially semi-tubular clasp of spring sheet material to snugly fit the socket and coverthe opening therein and provided with detent means at its side portions to cooperate with a keeper means on the socket to which said guard is applicable,

said guard being provided with an inwardly extending projection at a central portion thereof to extend into and substantially fill the opening of said socket. l a

4. The combination with a housing provided with an opening therein, of a guard for covering said opening and comprising a resilient plate shaped to conform generally to the exterior contour of the housing at or about said opening therein, and having a self-acting clasp-like action about the housing andextending partially and snugly fitted therearound, and yieldable, re-

leasable detent means carried on opposite side edges of said guard to cooperate with keeper;

means on the housing.

5. The combination with a housing provided with an opening, of a guard for covering said opening and comprising a resilient plate shaped to conform generally to the exterior contour of the housing at or about said opening therein, and having a self-acting clasp-like action about the housing and extending partially and snugly fitted therearound, and releasable means carried by said guard to cooperate with keeper means on thethrough which said 7 arm extends, means for maintaining the parts together and permitting said apertured section to move with said arm without moving said other section.

'7. The combination with a housing provided with openings therein, a laterally movable arm extending through one of the openings, of a guard comprising two complemental sections of sheet material adapted to jacket about the housing when associated together, one of said sections having an aperture therein through which arm extends, the other of said sections being of resilient metal and having a clasp-like action to spring open and snugly fit the housing detents carried on the side edge portions of said clasplike sections, and said other sections having elongated longitudinally extending slots therein to receive said detents and lock said sections together while permitting longitudinal movement of said apertured sections without moving said clasp section.

8. A guard of the kind described consisting of a substantially arcuate plate-like member of resilient material and having a clasp-like action to be sprung open and snugly clasp a corresponding surface, the opposite longitudinal side edges of said guard having diverging guide fingers thereon to engage and ride over said surface to which it is applicable to cause the guard to be sprung open as it is applied thereto, said guide fingers having detent portions to engage keeper portions on said surface, whereby the guard is locked in position.

9. A guard for a ball and socket joint wherein a shank extends from the ball through an opening in the socket, said guard comprising two complemental sections of sheet material adapted to encircle the socket when associated together, means for detachably connecting said sections together, one of said sections having an aperture therein through which said shank extends and movable by the movement of said shank, said opening having a diameter less than the diameter of said ball, said guard serving to retain grease,

exclude dirt and prevent the escape of the ball from the socket in case of failure of any of the parts.

WILLIAM TODD. 

